Operation Downsize

With graduation fast approaching, I need to start addressing the ridiculous amount of crap I've accumulated over the past four years. You never really realize how much pointless stuff you collect until you start packing it up.  Instead of groaning and packing it anyway, my goal this year is to leave with only what I can fit in my car (and maybe my mom's too).

Being an environmentally conscious citizen, simply throwing out the things I don't want is not an option. There is already enough waste in the landfills, and I don't want to add to it. Instead, I've started to research alternative options. Craigslist and EBay are always available, but what about the things I'm having a hard time selling?

One site I keep coming across is Freecycle. I've heard about this site for years but never really bothered to check it out until recently. The site is gaining popularity and creates an environment where users can offer their old unwanted goods to someone in their community who may want them. Users on Freecycle are not allowed to offer or accept cash or trades for any of their items, but if there's an item you're interested in that someone else is advertising, you are welcome to it.

There are some other alternative recycling methods I've found out about through Daily Danny. Right now he's doing a hard-to-recycle week on his blog, and it couldn't have come at a better time. To start things off, he shared a video of a TV appearance where he talks about some places that you can get cash for things you would normally just throw away.

I am definitely going to check out these sites because a little pocket change is always nice, especially if you weren't expecting to get anything back at all. As for the rest of my things, whatever I can't send away or sell, I'll give to Goodwill and hopefully they'll find a nice home for it. Let me know if you know of any other good places to part with unwanted things!